Lotus Expects to Keep Raikkonen and Grosjean for 2014 Season

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owner Gerard Lopez says that the team has no intention to replace either of its drivers for the 2014 season.

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is rumored to have been courting Kimi Raikkonen to fill the open seat left by Mark Webber, and Romain Grosjean’s inconsistent results have pegged him for possible replacement.

However, Lopez says that the team believes it has done enough to keep Raikkonen for next season and is standing behind Grosjean, at least for now.

"There are a lot of drivers and agents sniffing around - but they are sniffing around just as much to replace Romain as they are to replace Kimi going somewhere else. But we are not in a rush to do anything.

"Romain just needs to keep doing what he is doing now,” said Lopez.

Lotus recently sold a 35% stake in the team to an investment group called Infinity Racing made up of interests from the United States, Abu Dhabi and a third oil-producing nation. The influx of cash gives the team money to develop next year’s car and pay to keep Raikkonen with the team.

With the season not quite half over, there is a possibility that Lopez could change his story. If Grosjean suffers another string of poor results as he has in the past, then his seat could still be in jeopardy.

Source: Autosport